What 50+ Entrepreneurs Eat for Breakfast

July 17, 2014

10:00 am

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A heated discussion about the merits of the eggocado led me to wonder: what are entrepreneurs eating for breakfast? Is the stereotype of having no time to eat true – are the hustlers who need it most skipping “the most important meal of the day”? Or are they eating the breakfasts of champions?

Turns out, lots of people were willing to share their morning munchies with me. You can find their 50+ responses below – divided into the bizarre; smoothies; foreign-inspired; caffeine; vitamins; eggs, bacon, and toast; and oatmeal, granola, and yogurt.

Bizarre

“A breakfast ritual: cottage cheese and hot sauce with a hot coffee and almond milk. Make sure that it is Sriracha on the table every morning!”

“Every day for about 10 years I’ve eaten a Chunky KitKat. It’s not the US version. I get my chocolate stash shipped in from my parents in the UK each month and have a chocolate cupboard that no one else is allowed to go near. I’m very protective over my British candy and have to eat at least one bar for breakfast daily.”

“I’m known for eating chips dipped in sour cream for breakfast. I don’t believe that breakfast foods are for breakfast and dinner foods are for dinner. Food is food and you just eat what you want when you want it. And in the morning time I want something that takes little to no effort. So whether that be a cookie, cold pizza, or just a cup of coffee with some Carolans in it, it all fuels me for my day!”

Smoothies

“The blender is my breakfast tool! Once a week I buy a bunch of vegetables and fruit. Every morning, I choose a couple, wack them in the blender, add some water, and drink it on my way to the tube. Nutritious, fast, fiber-rich breakfast for on the go…although I have made some terrible tasting shakes.”

“My wife and I start out every work day with a smoothie made with 1 banana, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of (blackberries, grapes, raspberries – depends on what’s fresh in the fridge), 1/2 cup of orange or apple juice, tablespoon of wheat germ, some local honey, and a dash of cinnamon. Margaret buys fruits from the downtown Dallas Farmers Market on the weekends and we freeze what we don’t use quickly. Yay breakfast!”

“I drink 64 oz. of kale shake for morning and brunch to get my day started. In addition to kale, I usually throw in pineapples, apples, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, ginger, garlic, and basically whatever fruits look like they are about to go bad in the blender.”

“My usual breakfast consists of a glass of aloe vera juice that I make myself from aloe vera leaves. Then, I make myself a smoothie from raw lemons, ginger, turmeric, chia seeds, cinnamon, carrot, greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, or whatever else I might have available at the time, and a fruit such as pineapple, kiwi, or pear depending on what is available.”

“We buy a bunch of fruits and vegetables every weekend and we take turns chopping them up on Sundays. Then during the week we take turns making a green smoothie (kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, green apple, mango, banana, almond milk, coconut oil) every morning for breakfast. It really energizes everyone and keeps us feeling healthy!”

“I have a Labrada Lean Body Carb Watchers Chocolate protein shake with frozen blueberries instead of ice cubes every morning. It tastes great and is super convenient. Only 280 calories, apparently. I don’t know why I still don’t look like the lean muscular dude on the box, though.”

Foreign-inspired

“First I have a cup of coffee. After that I go for a walk with the dog. Once done with the walk, I eat two pieces of toast bread, each of them with a layer of Dutch Gouda cheese, another one containing British mustard, and a final one on top with slices of Hungarian Salami (special sausage).”

“I usually eat shakshuka – a dish of eggs poached in tomato and pepper sauce. It’s a great and healthy breakfast dish which helps me start off the day and is very common in the Mediterranean. The best way to eat it is with freshly baked bread and dipped in tahini.”

“Every morning I start out my day with two large cups of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee with a couple of tablespoons of heavy whipping cream in each. I plan out my day while I’m drinking coffee and then finish off the morning with 2 slices of bacon and two scrambled eggs. My body seems to enjoy caffeine and fat for breakfast.”

“Coffee, water, apple, and a rice cake with peanut butter. If I have a meeting, it’s usually at a local family-owned place (in downtown San Diego) for a breakfast burrito, so I don’t need to eat until the next day.”

“Recently I moved completely to having Bulletproof Coffee every morning. So that is 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter, with 1 tablespoon of high-quality MCT oil, blended into some freshly brewed coffee. My wife and I have this every day. On days where we workout, which we do in the mornings, we’ll have this, then workout, and have a protein shake afterwards. I find it keeps me incredibly focused for long periods of time and makes it easier to stay lean.”

“I’m usually in a hurry and not very hungry at breakfast, but I make myself something to go with my coffee (a breakfast staple). That something is oftentimes a piece of whole wheat toast with a light coating of peanut butter.”

“I like variety. They say variety is the spice of life, and I apply that to the foods I eat. For breakfast during the week, I usually have an iced coffee with crème and Splenda to drink every morning. Some days I will have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich from Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonalds; or I’ll splurge and get a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich from Helen’s Sausage House in Smyrna, DE. Other days, I skip breakfast as I am so busy I literally just forget to eat.”

Vitamins

“I eat a breakfast that keeps me energized. I eat either oatmeal or eggs and bacon and I take vitamins like: vitamin D, fish oil, and rhodiola rosea (an adaptogen to combat stress and keep my energy level and mood high). That breakfast keeps me going all day long while I code and grow my company.”

“Every morning I eat: protein shake (Solgar All-Natural Protein) in whole milk and B vitamin complex, antioxidants, multivitamin, fish oil. It takes about one minute to shake up and drink, and another 30 seconds to wash out the bottle.”

“I usually have a comparatively light breakfast…iced coffee, yogurt with berries or granola; sometimes I bring a homemade spinach/berry/OJ smoothie from home. The rare Friday when I was out a bit too late the night before, I’ve picked up egg whites and turkey sausage from the diner downstairs. Some of the other breakfasts in the office include the typical egg and cheese sandwich, breakfast pies (like a quiche and pot pie baby), cereal, leftovers from the day before (hot wings, pickles, cheese, and baguette). These boys have strange taste buds…but it’s always an amusing morning activity to look around and see what everyone is munching on to start their days.”

“Breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day for me. I try to keep my early-morning diet consistent with a mix of high-protein foods and a healthy amount of carbohydrates. Some of my early-morning meals include eggs, peanut butter, grapefruit, and whole wheat toast.”

“I like to start every day off full with a paleo-style breakfast. I used to just do the whole cereal-and-milk every day but I hit a point where I realized I needed to take care of myself before I take care of my company, and I consistently hammer out the time each morning to make myself a good, tasty meal before starting the day.”

“I usually grab a bagel, toast it, add some jalapeno cream cheese, and eat it on the drive into the office while listening to podcasts. If I’m on the tired side, I’ll grab a Monster Energy Zero (white or red) for the drive in. If I’m more awake, I’ll wait until I hit the office to brew up some coffee (fresh-ground, black).”

“I follow a modified version of Tim Ferris’s Slow Carb diet. For breakfast, I typically eat two eggs fried in grass-fed butter with sweet potato home fries, sauerkraut, wilted spinach and either dal makhani or refried beans.”

“When I’m in the middle of an intense project, I usually wake up thinking about it and want to get straight to work – on those days, I’m reaching for the breakfast of least resistance: cereal or a breakfast bar, and a swig of OJ, if I remember to eat breakfast at all! Coffee’s the only requirement. Now that our company is up and running, I’ll have some slower mornings where I’ll make myself a delicious breakfast burrito – but I had to earn that luxury!”

“Whenever I have time to use the toaster oven in the morning, I’ll typically have an Eggo waffle with some cheese or cream cheese. If I’m in a rush and on the go, then I’ll grab one or two Kind bars before I run out of the house. They’re nutritious and also quite filling and I can eat them in the car.”

Oatmeal, granola, and yogurt

“I prepare my breakfast the night before with clockwork regularity. It is a special recipe called ‘Orient Express Oatmeal’ that consists of 3/4 of a cup of steel-cut oats, 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of sliced almonds. I mix the ingredients the night before and set my slow cooker for 4 hours at the lowest heat. I awake to a healthy gourmet quality meal that not only lowers cholesterol but is delicious and filling.”

“I start every morning with Super Oatmeal. Starting the day with a mix of oatmeal, ground flax, raisins, cocoa powder, and protein powder is the only way to go. Seriously, it’s fast to make, cheap, and great for you. More about it here.”

“I typically kick off every morning with a cup of coffee so that I can start communicating with the world. It’s also my role to take care of the children in the morning, so at the same time that I fix their breakfast, I also prepare for myself a nice bowl of granola with yogurt, fruit (which would be either bananas, blueberries or strawberries), topped off with a bit of honey. I’ve got it down to a science, so that it takes me about two minutes max to prepare. After that I’m fully energized and ready to start my day.”

“I am lucky to live in Portland, OR, where I have access to fresh fruit almost year-round. That, granola or oatmeal, and black coffee has been my staple for as long as I’ve been an entrepreneur. I want energy, clarity, and nothing heavy. When I splash out, it is usually on international travel – I love trying vegan versions of country staples. The Hoxton in Shoreditch serves a vegan classic English breakfast – sausage, potatoes, grilled tomatoes. Best food in the world if you’ve been ‘working late’ with clients.”

“When I’m being ‘supervised’ by my kids, I eat the same thing they do, greek yogurt, and jam. When we eat separately, I get a scone or muffin at http://talulasdaily.com. It is fuel for whatever project I need to tackle, plus the flavors rotate daily.”

“Vanilla soy yogurt, hemp granola with flax seed, sliced almonds, blueberries, and cinnamon. This breakfast has lots of vegan protein to keep going throughout the morning, antioxidants via the blueberries, and cinnamon (which is good for the brain).”

“Since becoming a mom, I’ve learned a lot about what’s in the foods we eat and we now do our best to stick to the basics. My son also has severe food allergies, so we’ve been pretty egg- and nut-free around here. Typically I start my morning off with an avocado, Chobani yogurt, wholegrain toast, fresh orange juice, and a Yogi tea.”

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Kira M. Newman is a Tech Cocktail writer interested in the harsh reality of entrepreneurship, work-life balance, and psychology. She is the founder of The Year of Happy and has been traveling around the world interviewing entrepreneurs in Asia, Europe, and North America since 2011. Follow her @kiramnewman or contact kira@tech.co.